Needle and thread guard for an embroidering machine



Oct. 18, 1966 E. COMERIO 3,279,401

NEEDLE AND THREAD GUARD FOR AN EMBROIDERING MACHINE Filed Dec. 7, 1964 Inventor 1! WM/@ amer/'0 J w M ZLZQ, Attorneys United States Patent 3,279,401 NEEDLE AND THREAD GUARD FOR AN EMBROIDERING MACHINE Ercole Comerio, Busto Arsizio, Italy, assignor to Metalmeccanica S.p.A., Busto Arsizio, Italy Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,441 Claims priority, application Italy, Dec. 10, 1963, 41,820 8 Claims. (Cl. 11283) This invention relates to a device adapted to protect needles and threads passed therein during the loading operations of the fabric to be embroidered on the lower beam of embroidering machines.

It is well known that on the embroidering machines now in use, at the end of each embroidering operation the finished fabric is replaced with a virgin or plain fabric, which is raised above the thread spools and the needle bed and caused to slide downwardly to hook it up to the lower beam of the machine and to wind it thereon.

During the hookup and winding operation it is rather easy for the fabric to come in contact with the threads going from the spools to the needles, in which they have passed. It is likewise easy for the fabric to tend during its motion to move off the threads, to straddle and to unthread them from the needles with consequent considerable time loss when resuming the embroidering work. It may still happen that the fabric upon its sliding over the needles damages these or it is, conversely, damaged by them.

The above-outlined inconveniences are all eliminated by the protecting device according to this invention, which permits to make the loading of the fabric to be embroidered in an easy manner and above all without affecting the correct run of threads going to the needles. Such protecting device is substantially characterized in that it comprises a guard and a rod running parallel to the beam on which the fabric is wound and adapted to provide proper protection to the threads in the needle and spool zones, respectively, said guard and rod being normally maintained in rest position out of the working zone and being brought to the working position during the loading of the fabric by actuation of simple releasing means.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings outlining a preferred non-limiting embodiment form given by way of example, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the protecting device according to this invention in rest position; and

FIG. 2 is an analogous schematic view of the protecting device in working position.

As shown in FIG, 1 the embroidering machine comprises at least a pair of beams, viz. lower beam 1 and upper beam 2, between which the fabric 3 to be embroidered is stretched out. The embroidery thread 4 unwinds from the spool 5, passes on rollers 6, 7 and 8 to thread in the needles 9 of the needle holding bed 10.

Substantially above this arrangement is provided the device according to this invention. It comprises at least a pair of arms 11, pivoted at 12 on a stationary support or frame. At free ends of the arms 11 is fastened a guard 13, which is adapted to protect the threads in the needle zone as will be seen hereinafter. A pair of arms 14 is pivoted at 15 at an intermediate point of the arms 11 and holds up at its free ends a rod 16. On the same arm 11 is pivoted at 17 a fork 18, adapted to engage on the pin 19, the latter being fixed on said support or frame. On said pin 19 may slide an arcuate slot 20 fast with the arm 11.

In the position shown in FIG. 1 the guard 13 is kept in 3,279,401 Patented Oct. 18 1966 raised position thanks to the support point of the fork or catch 18 on the pin 19, which prevents the arm 11 from rotating around the pin 12 downwardly. The rod 16 is resting upon the guard 13.

When it is desired to turn to the working position, for providing protection to the threads during the fabric loading the rod 16 and then also the arms 14 are caused to rotate around the pin 15 in the direction shown by the arrow F1. Thereafter the arms 11 are in turn forced to rotate around the pin 12 still in a clockwise direction until the fork 18 releases from the pin 19. A metal point 21, fast with the arm 14, acts on the stop 22 of the fork 18 in such a way as to push it away from the pin 19 due to the weight of the rod 16 itself against the action of not shown spring-means.

In this manner the arms 11 are released and the guard 13 may be lowered upon the needles 9 as shown by the arrow F2 in FIG. 1. In this position the guard 13 is supported by the metal points 23 on the needle holding bed 10.

The rod 16 is in turn spported via the arms 14 and the metal points 24 on the same arms 11. In the position shown in FIG. 2 it is clearly visible how the rod 16 holds the fabric 25 to feed into the machine in a position remote from the spools 5. From the rod 16 the fabric runs subsequently onto the guard 13 and from this to the lower beam 1 for the winding operation without coming in contact with the threads 4 and the needles 9.

When it is desired to bring the device back into rest position, one should raise the rod 16 and simultaneously the guard 13 by causing the assembly to rotate around the pin 12. The fork 18, which is drawn back by said spring means (not shown) returns to a position corresponding to the pin 19 and rests thereupon when the rod 16 is released. The assembly is thus maintained again in the position as shown in FIG. 1. It is understood that the present invention is not confined to the above-described embodiment form but is subject to several changes and modifications of a technical nature, without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an embroidering machine having a frame, a supply beam, and a plurality of needles through which threads are fed; a device for guarding the needles and threads of said machine during the loading of fabric to be embroidered on said supply beam, said device comprising at least a pair of first arms pivotably mounted about one of their ends on said frame, a guard member carried by the other ends of said first arms, at least a pair of supplemental arms each pivotably mounted about one of its ends on a corresponding first arm between the ends of said first arm, an operating rod carried by the other ends of said supplemental arms and extending parallel to said beam, all of said arms being pivotable from an inoperative position in which said guard and said rod are spaced from said machine to a fabric loading operative position in which said guard is disposed between the needles and the fabric being loaded, and in which said guard and said rod each support said fabric.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising means to lock said first arms in said inoperative position.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said locking means comprises a pin fixed with respect to said frame and a catch member pivotably mounted on at least one of said first arms and adapted to engage said pin in said inoperative position.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising means on at least one of said supplemental arms to release said locking means as said supplemental arms are moved into said operative position.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said release means 8. The device of claim 1 further comprising means on comprises a first projection extending from said suppleat least one of said first arms adapted to support said arms mental arm and adapted to engage and release said catch adjacent said needles during said operative position. member from said in as said so lernental arms are moved into said opefative position. pp 5 References by the Exammer 6. The device of claim 1 wherein said operating rod UNITED STATES PATENTS rests on said guard in said inoperative position. 171,423 12/1375 Roosevelt 7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a second 1 139 1 5 1915 D fl 112 2 1 projection extending from at least one of said supplemental arms and adapted to engage a corresponding first arm to 10 JORDAN FRANKLIN Pnmary Exammersupport said supplemental arms in said operative position. A, R, GUEST, Assistant Examiner, 

1. IN A EMBROIDERING MACHINE HAVING A FRAME, A SUPPLY BEAM, AND A PLURALITY OF NEEDLES THROUGH WHICH THREADS ARE FED; A DEVICE FOR GUARDING THE NEEDLES AND THREADS OF SAID MACHINE DURING THE LOADING OF FABRIC TO TO EMBROIDERED ON SAID SUPPLY BEAM, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AT LEAST A PAIR OF FIRST ARMS PIVOTABLY MOUNTED ABOUT ONE OF THEIR ENDS ON SAID FRAME, A GUARD MEMBER CARRIED BY THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID FIRST ARMS, AT LEAST A PAIR OF SUPPLEMENTAL ARMS EACH PIVOTABLY MOUNTED ABOUT ONE OF ITS ENDS ON A CORRESPONDING FIRST ARM BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID FIRST ARM, AN OPERATING ROD CARRIED BY THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID SUPPLEMENTAL ARMS AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID BEAM, ALL OF SAID ARMS BEING PIVOTABLE FROM AN INOPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID GUARD AND SAID ROD ARE SPACED FROM SAID MACHINE TO A FABRIC LOADING OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID GUARD IS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE NEEDLES AND THE FABRIC BEING LOADED, AND IN WHICH SAID GUARD AND SAID ROD EACH SUPPORT SAID FABRIC. 